Opinion: Will Harry Reid Nuke the Filibuster?

WSJ assistant editorial page editor James Freeman on the Senate Majority Leader’s threat to end the filibuster for presidential nominations. Photo: Getty Images

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... I ... eight that we've come to this point ... we witnessed a majority to read his word ... it's ... no wonder how often ... the freedom ... mine were ... and when you respond ... I cannot comment on his bookings with what the majority leader audience and they're all on its he was the confirmation process ... to be stated ... and for them unaudited sat down and shot up a little pullback from the branch here ... from the majority leader's gonna be remembered as the worst later the son of ... been welcome back to Opinion Journal the sense to most powerful men ... that being the value of the filibuster some pretty strong words there who is ready ... the Wall Street Journal Assistant editorial page editor James Freeman joins me now James America I e e is this ... it is ... a legitimate debate debate we should have ... when its death only legitimate you can get rid of the filibuster with no constitutional problem this is not a constitutional principle this is just the rules of the Senate which they can decide to change with of the majority ... of it so why is Harry Reid threatening than in the filibuster ... well ... a different ... ideas so he's saying he's only Guinea get rid of it for executive branch appointments but the people assume if he gets rid of it for this pretty soon is giving away for judges ... for all legislation ... the the thinking is that he really wants to get ... Obama appointees under the National Labor Relations Board ... some of the earlier rulings I e ... getting tossed out by the courts are baby soon to be tossed out by the court so of the thinking is they really want to ... get these labor doesn't place to basically a reaffirmed some of these the decisions that may be tossed out because of questions about how they were appointed earlier jets the Democrats have appoints an issue that the president get the cabinet nominees he ... he wants what we always thought that ... some of those of a roller and review the qualifications but that basically in the May in the present should get the team he wants to ... as I said the art I think once you ... get you into the nuclear option ... most people the Senate don't anticipate that this would stop when ... presidential appointments ... to the executive branch that you would eventually end the filibuster deal with forever so let's say that that happens that Harry rebukes the filibuster gets rid of it all together ... what does this move us down that path towards something like a parliamentary system where ... the majority the rules gets to do with the majority wants to do it's very difficult block hard to predict but it would mean literally a nuclear option for Harry Reid in his constituents because it would mean among other things that the ... of ... planned nuclear waste dump and Yucca Mountain Nevada which he's been able to block it with the help from the filibuster would probably go for that this is great news for America because it's actually the perfect place to put nuclear waste and scientifically sound good but I aam ... as far side in general ... it's it's hard to say I think you're right basically it would be easier to get stuff in the law and ... I think conservatives tend to think that to ... the ideas that people add to make government bigger tend to be ... bigger and bolder than the ideas that does ... a free market types had to restrain government so generally most of the stuff stopped by the filibuster is bad but if you wanna dream about repealing Obamacare ... certainly in a future Congress more Republican Congress easier to do if you only need fifty one cents James is ... another calculation here which is towards twenty fourteen ... where Harry Reid doesn't seeking loan to the Democratic basis a lot ... on the five open the door to ... a faster boat side view votes on people that ... even Republicans say that the president should have India's cabinet ... it has given some to talk about austere he's ... in twenty fourteen and he's playing with fire because you look at the Iowa Democrat or the Senators up in twenty fourteen most of them are Democrats ... also included in that are so mild ... incumbents in states that have not been very kindly leave the Democrats of North Carolina Arkansas for example so ... if he's betting on ... a a a win in ... twenty fourteen are of me he thinks this will help them and hard to say I I think it it seems likely that ... after twenty fourteen Republicans without a filibuster or giving it more what they won the Senate but the baby baby thinks it's a political winner matter I love the Beige political winner now Wall Street Journal Assistant editorial page editor James Freeman ... thanks very much thanks for